Despite having its current assignment defined in the 1988 Brazilian Constitution, the Federal Police of Brazil was originally created in 1808 by D. João VI (the king of Portugal and prince regent of Brazil).

Over time, its role has evolved and, in 2020, the Federal Police has a lot of assignments, including the fight against drug trafficking, administrative services, and immigration services, to name a few. In Brazil, the Federal Police carries out the same work carried out by the many federal U.S. agencies, such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Agency, Customs and Border Patrol, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Fish and Wildlife Service, and Coast Guard, among others.